Idries & Jamil - TAR 22

Describe what you do: Provide specialized medical and surgical care for disorders of the female reproductive tract. Manage pregnancies from conception through labor and delivery.

3 words to describe you: Driven, humorous and compassionate.

Favorite hobbies: Flying, running and antiquing.

What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? Completing the U.S. Army Officer Basic Course and becoming a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army Medical Corp after completing residency.

What famous person reminds you of yourself? George W. Bush, deceptively capable.

What famous person reminds you of your teammate? Barack Obama, obviously capable.

What scares you most about traveling? Returning home when you have a name like Jamil Abdur-Rahman. Customs agents rarely make you feel “welcome.”

What excites you most about traveling? Seeing, tasting, smelling, hearing and experiencing something that I may never do again.

Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on The Race together: I hope that running the Race will help us both to not only effectively listen to one and other, but to actually hear one and other and to more effectively hear and digest what the other is saying.

Pet peeve about your teammate: Idries at times can be passive aggressive and patronizing. When we disagree he rarely confronts you directly but instead is holier than thou and stubborn.

What country and place would you most like to visit and why? “The door of no return” in Ghana. I have always hated the fact that as an African American I do not know where my ancestors came from. Walking those grounds would mean that I might be setting foot where my ancestor once walked.

What do you hope to accomplish by running The Race (other than winning one million bucks)? I want to step beyond my comfort zone and to be pushed beyond my limits. Hopefully, in the process I can become more comfortable in my skin.

Name: Idries Abdur-Rahman

Age: 36

Hometown: Chicago

Connection to your teammate: Twin Brother

Current occupation: OB/GYN Physician

Describe what you do: I care for women during all aspects of pregnancy, delivery and post-partum. I also perform gynecologic and pelvic surgery.

What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? Beating the odds! Not becoming what most statistics say an inner city minority male from a single parent household would become.

What famous person reminds you of yourself? I’d like to say Albert Einstein but probably Jon Stewart.

What famous person reminds you of your teammate? I’d like to say Elmer Fudd but instead I’ll say James Earl Jones.

What scares you most about traveling? Anytime I travel my biggest fear is inadvertently doing or saying something that locals could find socially offensive.

What excites you most about traveling? Seeing new places, meeting new people and having the opportunity to walk in the shoes and live a day in the life of others.

Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on The Race together: Both of us are a bit type A and a little head strong. I hope that running the Race will allow us to learn how to work together in a level headed, respectful way while learning to value the others POV.

Pet peeve about your teammate: Frequently, I think that he is too head strong. When he takes a position, he will hold that position despite all logical arguments to the contrary.

What country and place would you most like to visit and why? Goree Island in Senegal. As an African American, I think that I will likely never trace back my specific roots. Going to Goree Island would give me some sense of connection with my ancestors.

What do you hope to accomplish by running The Race (other than winning one million bucks)? I want to run a good, competitive Race and I want to see places and have experiences that I otherwise would never have.

Re: Idries & Jamil - TAR 22

My first impressions is that I like this team. They seem smart and personable. My only hesitation, and this is not their fault, is that I had more than my fill of twins last season. Hopefully they won't call each other, "twinnie."

Re: Idries & Jamil - TAR 22

Well of course I'm rooting for them because Jamil used to be my gyno. Supersmart and he is as funny as he seems on the show. I didn't know they were even on the show until me and the hubby watched last night.